The present invention relates to disposable diapers for absorption and containment of excretions.
Japanese Patent Application Disclosure Gazette No. Hei8-322878 disclose a disposable diaper partitioned in a crotch region of the diaper into front and rear halves. According to this disclosure, loose fecal material discharged on a zone of the crotch region extending in the vicinity of a front waist region of the diaper is prevented from flowing forward and thereby the wearer""s urinal organs is prevented from being soiled with the loose fecal material.
However, it is impossible for the diaper to intercept an amount of loose fecal material tending to flow toward a rear waist region of the diaper. The amount of loose fecal material prevented from flowing forward correspondingly accelerates the loose fecal material to arrive at an end of the rear waist region and may often leak beyond the end of the rear waist region. This situation may occur particularly when the wearer is lying on his or her side.
In view of the problem as has been described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable diaper adapted to intercept the flow of loose fecal material, i.e., the flow of loose fecal material toward a rear waist region of the diaper.
According to the present invention, there is provided a disposable diaper having a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending therebetween, the diaper comprising a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed therebetween, wherein: the diaper is formed on an inner surface thereof approximately in a longitudinally rear half area thereof with a plurality of protuberances extending transversely across the rear half area and intermittently arranged longitudinally of the diaper.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the protuberances has a height locally decreased so as to form a groove extending longitudinally of the diaper.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the protuberances comprise an absorbent material and a liquid-pervious sheet covering the absorbent material.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the liquid-pervious sheet is the topsheet.
According to further another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protuberances comprise a sheet material configured so as to be risable up on the inner surface of the diaper.